ChangeManagement: Avoid Havoc In Very Uncertai...

ChangeManagement: Avoid Havoc In Very Uncertain Times
By Marcia Zidle

Escalating gas prices...tensions and turmoil in the Middle East...a struggling world economy. Leadership, in times ofuncertainty, is not that much different from that of normal times. What doesdiffer is the degree to which basic tactics of change management are applied.In times of uncertainty, leaders must pay even more attention to the peopleissues in change. Here are five ways to avoid leadership havoc.

Get off of autopilot.
Examine your organization s strategy. With your leadership team confirm orrevise your current strategy or mission. Should it change as a result of whatis going on in the environment? Should it change as a result of what is goingon with customers or competitors? Should you continue going in the samedirection swerve to the right or left or take a totally new path? Do notoverreact but do not sit still waiting for it to pass.

Manage and multiple the impact.
During uncertain times, employees are inundated with stories of downsizing, payreductions, etc. There's no one perfect way to communicate change. Someorganizations make an enormous mistake in using only low touch methods suchas newsletters or the company intranet site. But high touch face-to-faceencounters is vital. One manager puts it this way: It is important to geteyeball to eyeball to see and react to your people. Effective communicationis inclusive, candid, and decidedly two-way.

Identify your key players and re-recruit them.
Who are the most important people in your organization or team? Be aware theycan be at all levels, not just the top. Meet with this them on a regular basisto monitor what is going on. Seek their input, clarify specific performancegoals, give them the resources they need, let them go, and reward them inwhatever way you can for results. Do not lose them or their commitment.

Get out of your ivory tower pay attention to frontline action.
Related to the earlier point about refining existing strategies, it becomescritical to ensure that these strategies are turned into frontline actionplans. Changing goals and performance outcomes must be translated so thatpeople understand them, buy into them, and are motivated by them. This is thetime to power up your people engine.

Build and maintain stretch alliances.
During uncertain times it is more important than ever to maintain strongrelations with the senior leadership and with other key managers. It is also agood time to strengthen external relationships with others such as suppliers,vendors, selected customer groups, and perhaps even other organizations in asimilar business as you.

Change creates uncertainty for employees, customers, and suppliers. If youfollow these five change management techniques you will more likely maintainproductivity, retain key employees and stay sane in a world that does not stopchanging.